The present invention relates to a semiconductor architecture technology, more particularly, to a delay locked loop.
Synchronous semiconductor memory devices such as double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memories (DDR SDRAMs) generate a delay locked loop (DLL) clock that is synchronized with an external clock input from an external device such as a memory controller. Synchronous semiconductor memory devices transmit data to external devices according to a DLL clock. For the clock-based data transmission, synchronous semiconductor memory devices include a clock-synchronization circuit. A phase locked loop (PLL) and a DLL are examples of the clock-synchronization circuit.
A DLL compensates for delay in a clock generated inside a synchronous semiconductor memory device while the clock is transported to a data output terminal, and generates a DLL clock that is synchronized with an external clock. As compared with the PLL, the DLL has low noise and can be configured in small size. For this reason, the DLL is generally used as a synchronization circuit in synchronous semiconductor memory devices.
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a conventional DLL. As illustrated, the DLL includes a buffer 10, a phase detection block 20, a delay model block 30, a delay control block 40, a delay line (or delay block) 50, and an output driver 60.
Upon receipt of an external clock CLK_EXT, the buffer 10 buffers the external clock CLK_EXT, and generates an internal clock CLK_INN. The internal clock CLK_INN is inputted to the phase detection block 20 and the delay line 50. The phase detection block 20 compares a phase of the internal clock CLK_INN with the phase of a feedback clock CLK_FDB, which is an output signal of the delay model block 30. According to the comparison result, the delay control block 40 outputs a plurality of control signals CTR1, CTR2, . . . , and CTRn, where n is a natural number. The delay line 50 delays the internal clock CLK_INN in response to the control signals CTR1, CTR2, . . . , CTRn. The delay model block 30 models factors that delay a clock inside the synchronous semiconductor memory device, and receives an output clock of the delay line 50 and outputs the feedback clock CLK_FDB.
The output driver 60 drives upon receipt of the output clock of the delay line 50 to output a DLL clock CLK_DLL. Although not illustrated, the DLL clock CLK_DLL is provided to an output buffer so as to be used for synchronization between the external clock CLK_EXT and data to be outputted.
In case of analyzing performance of the synchronous semiconductor memory device, a method of analyzing performance while turning on the DLL (hereinafter referred to as “DLL-ON MODE”), a method of analyzing performance while turning off the DLL (hereinafter referred to as “DLL-OFF MODE”), or other similar methods are used.
Hereinafter, limitations associated with the DLL-ON MODE will be described. For the conventional DLL-OFF MODE, some elements of the DLL operate. That is, the buffer 10 generates the internal clock DLK_INN upon receipt of the external clock CLK_EXT. The delay line 50 delays the internal clock CLK_INN by a given delay value (i.e., initial unit delay) preset by a designer of the DLL. The output driver 60 drives the delayed internal clock, which is then outputted as the DLL clock CLK_DLL. The DLL clock CLK_DLL is inputted to the output buffer. Therefore, the data are outputted in response to the DLL clock CLK_DLL locked regardless of the external clock CLK_EXT.
However, at the operation by the DLL clock CLK_DLL having the locked delay time, the data may not secure a sufficient margin to be outputted, and thus, accurate estimation of an operation state may be difficult. Especially, this limitation becomes severe in the case of a high-frequency clock. Under this condition, if an external power supply voltage changes, the delay time also changes. Due to the variation in delay time caused by the external power supply voltage, an additional data strobe signal is generally used to confirm the data to be outputted in the conventional semiconductor memory device.